Alexander Deryck Barron was born 29 November 1919 son of Harold Stephen and Fanny Borthwick Barron of

Lower Hutt.[i] Alexander was known by family and friends as Derk.

The Barron family took their holidays at Plimmerton and the family were involved in local yachting as members of the Plimmerton Boating Club. The Barron Cup was presented by the family to the Plimmerton Boating Club in 1931. This cup was for competition between Plimmerton and Paremata Boating Clubs sailing Rona-Jellicoe class boats.[ii]

In 1938 Derk sailed with crew member Arthur Henry Edginton

competing in the Cornwall Cup. The Plimmerton crew won the

regatta and retained the cup for the club.[iii]

‘Smile of Victory’

Derk (Left) and Arthur with the 1938 Cornwall Cup

In 1938 Derk was working, in Wellington, as a shipping clerk for

the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited. At this stage he

joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Wellington - NZ Division)

as a cadet seaman with the service number W/3696.

With the outbreak of World War Two, New Zealand Reserves were

mobilised. Derk was called up, reporting to HMNZS Philomel as

Able Seaman Barron on 18 April 1940. He was in the first batch of

New Zealand Naval Reserves, to be ‘Lent Royal Navy.’[iv] The loan

of these Reserves was in response to the British Admiralty call to

the New Zealand government for more sailors to man the

increasing number of warships being bought into service. Derk’s service record note he arrived England on 1st May 1940. Able Seaman Barron was initially attached to the shore training establishment HMS Victory then to HMS Phoebe, finally to HMS Neptune in September 1941.

It was intended that New Zealand would provide a crew for HMS Neptune and this Leander-class light cruiser would serve alongside the New Zealand squadron, HMS Achilles and HMS Leander. HMS Neptune was originally due to sail for New Zealand in May 1941 but the loss of cruisers during the Crete campaign meant HMS Neptune was attached to the Malta based Force K.[v]

While HMS Neptune was in Alexandria, Egypt, she was visited by a unit of the New Zealand National Broadcasting (NBS) on 13 November 1941 when messages from the officers and men on board were recorded. Only 10 percent of the crew were selected, by ballot, to record messages to their friends and families, Derk was one of those selected. These messages were recorded onto discs to be sent back to New Zealand for broadcast in a weekly programme called ‘With the Boys Overseas.’[vi]

Hello Mum, Dad & Pat

Just here to say I am OK and hope all the same back in New Zealand

Cheerio to June and all the best for Christmas, won’t see you this one folks but maybe next.

Have two letters the other day and a fiver which is a bit of OK Dad.

Cheerio to Dunedin and Joy in Auckland.

So long for now.

Love

Derk

HMS Neptune swimming party at Stanley Bay,

Alexandria, Egypt - 1941

( Frank, Alf, Bob and others)

Alexander (Derk) Barron top right

​HMS Neptune leaving

Alexandria Harbour

The HMS Neptune messages were timed

for Christmas 1941. It is possible that

none of the messages would have been

heard by the families at home because

on the morning of 19 December 1941, HMS Neptune hit enemy mines off the

coast of Libya and sank. Only one of the crew of 764 survived this incident. The loss of the HMS Neptune was New Zealand Navy’s worst disaster with 151 of the crew being from New Zealand.

Three of the New Zealand contingent were from the Hutt Valley, Wellington all went to the same High School; Deryck Barron, Selwyn West & Brian White. Leading Seaman Revell Ernest Bronwie who had lived in Pukerua Bay was also a casualty of the sinking.

At the 1948 Annual General Meeting of the Plimmerton Boating Club

it was resolved "to acquire a suitable boat with engine for pick-up and

general rescue work". This rescue boat was built by Shetland Islander,